In the grand scheme of things that can hurt your child, cavities seem almost quaint.

At least that's what I thought until I heard about Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Maryland boy who died last year after bacteria from a decaying tooth spread to his brain. First and foremost, it's a tragic story about how low-income families are struggling for basic health care. But it's also a stark reminder that good oral health is a key part of good overall health.

Pediatrics.about.com

While that's an extreme case, there's plenty of reason to take notice of how to care for your kids' teeth -- even before they've got any. Children with rotten teeth don't eat as well, hurting their development, said Dr. Weston Heringer, Jr., a Salem pediatric dentist and the previous director of the Pediatric Residency Program at the OHSU School of Dentistry. They also may have speech problems due to missing teeth.

And babies with a lot of decay will go on to have that same problem as adults, said Dr. Mary Hayes, a pediatric dentist specialist and a spokeswoman for the American Dental Association.
The bacteria that causes tooth decay colonizes your teeth and spreads the disease from tooth to tooth. "If you can catch it early, you can reverse the process," she said.

Here are tips from Heringer and Hayes, both pediatric dentists, about helping your child establish lasting habits for good oral health:

Look at your own habitsAs with many things involving your child's health, parents and caregivers need to be diligent themselves in brushing and flossing.

This is more than just being a good role model. Some of the tooth-decaying bacteria found in babies' mouths have been found to come from the parent or caregiver. Because bacteria can be transferred via saliva -- and babies will often stick their fingers in their parents mouths' then suck on their hands -- it's a pretty easy way to introduce harmful bacteria into your kids' mouths, said Hayes.

Start the routine earlyEven before your baby sprouts his first tooth, parents should run a wet washcloth over the baby's gums once a day, Hayes said. This accomplishes two things -- it dislodges the milk residue, and it gets your baby used to having something in his mouth.

Then, once the teeth come in, parents can start using a brush with a small head and very very soft bristles. It's important to make brushing part of your everyday routine, she said, rather than waiting till your child is a toddler to start. Why?

"A 2-year old's middle name is 'no'" she said.

Don't delegate too quicklyJust because your child says he can brush his own teeth, don't rely on him to do an adequate job, said Heringer.

Adults really need to help their kids brush their teeth until they're eight years old. "It takes children until they're seven or eight to write cursively," he said, noting that children won't have the motor skills to thoroughly brush their own teeth until about the same age.

He suggests that parents give their child one good brushing a day, and allow the child to brush his own teeth the other times. He added that the child should either sit on the parent's lap or stand, with his back to the parent, so that the adult has a good angle and view.

Fluoride Most of Oregon's drinking water is not fluoridated -- itself the subject of an intense ongoing debate over whether communities should add fluoride. But in the meantime, parents should consult with their doctor or dentist about giving fluoride drops or tablets to children from six months of age and up to help protect themselves from tooth decay.

See the dentist before the first birthdayPlan for the baby's first visit to the dentist to take place sometime between the appearance of the first tooth and no later than the baby's first birthday. Dentists can conduct a risk assessment based on parents' own tooth-decay history, the child's diet, and the composition of the mouth, with instructions on how to care for the child's teeth.

Watch the toothpaste
There's no need for any toothpaste before the child can spit. Then, no more than a rice-sized amount before the child is three, Heringer said. After that, a pea-sized amount is enough. Anything more, he said, "just sells toothpaste."

Ease up on the juice
Toddlers should not have more than 4 oz a day of juice, said Hayes. Remember to take into account whether the child is getting juice at school or day care as well. And don't send kids to bed with a bottle of juice or milk -- just water.

Getting them off the bottle

Speaking of which, start training your child to stop drinking from a bottle around six months of age, with the goal of getting them to drink from a cup by no later than 14 months of age.

Dental Foundation of OregonThis 38-foot van is being outfitted as a mobile dental health clinic, capable of staging operations as well as handling routine check-ups.